The Magic Lens I is entirely based on four-level sentence analysis. This analysis of parts of speech, parts of sentence, phrases, and clauses is Michael Clay Thompson's original and enormously successful approach to teaching grammar. It uses his beautiful "t-models" to illustrate how sentences are constructed and includes a detailed look at how grammar affects punctuation.

The student book is in full color.

The Magic Lens I is entirely based on four-level sentence analysis. This analysis of parts of speech, parts of sentence, phrases, and clauses is Michael Clay Thompson's original and enormously successful approach to teaching grammar. It uses his beautiful "t-models" to illustrate how sentences are constructed and includes a detailed look at how grammar affects punctuation.

TheWord Within the Word I is a rigorous vocabulary text that contains thirty lessons filled with readings and activities to illustrate the important role of Latin and Greek stems in academic English. The first twenty lessons offer a list of twenty-five stems, along with several example words that contain each stem, and the last ten lessons provide twenty-five words that students will need to be familiar with to navigate through advanced academic endeavors.

Each lesson contains discussions and illustrations that offer students a greater understanding of the classical roots of the English language. Much of the text is meant only to be read, with exercises interspersed that students or instructors can choose from to help solidify the knowledge through manipulation of the vocabulary.

In addition, we present an extensive discussion of the history of Greece in the Classical Period from 490 to 323 B.C. Each lesson contains an essay, written by Dr. Thomas Kemnitz, about the ancient Greeks. These essays introduce students to Darius and Xerxes, Leonidas and Themistocles, Cimon and Pericles, the Spartans and the Athenians, the Peloponnesian and Delian Leagues, Athenian democracy and Spartan oligarchy, Alcibiades and Socrates, and finally Philip and Alexander of Macedonia. The writings are enhanced with maps, timelines, and scores of photographs taken by Dr. Kemnitz of Greek buildings, sculptures, and artifacts.

There is an enormous amount of historical material in this book, including descriptions of how the Spartans lived, the strategies of various battles, the functioning of democracy and the jury system in Athens, the practice of ostracism, the importance of the navy in Athens, the Spartan system of education, and the building of the glorious Parthenon on the Acropolis in Athens. Interspersed among the activity pages are vignettes of aspects of life in ancient Greece as depicted in vases, statuettes, and artifacts so that we learn not only about helmets and shields but also about hairstyles, musical instruments, and sports.

Publisher Dr. T.M. Kemnitz says, "Our intention is to give students enough of a picture of ancient Greece so that they can understand what occurred and why. So much of history written for students is little more than a story devoid of meaningful context. It is the context that helps to explain why people acted as they did and which helps us to understand that history is not a story of actions but rather a series of reactions. The history is enrichment; the purpose of the book remains to help students learn English vocabulary, specifically the academic English of learned discourse."

This book is printed in black and white, but there is a full color version available here.

TheWord Within the Word I is a rigorous vocabulary text that contains thirty lessons filled with readings and activities to illustrate the important role of Latin and Greek stems in academic English. The first twenty lessons offer a list of twenty-five stems, along with several example words that contain each stem, and the last ten lessons provide twenty-five words that students will need to be familiar with to navigate through advanced academic endeavors.

Each lesson contains discussions and illustrations that offer students a greater understanding of the classical roots of the English language. Much of the text is meant only to be read, with exercises interspersed that students or instructors can choose from to help solidify the knowledge through manipulation of the vocabulary.

In addition, we present an extensive discussion of the history of Greece in the Classical Period from 490 to 323 B.C. Each lesson contains an essay, written by Dr. Thomas Kemnitz, about the ancient Greeks. These essays introduce students to Darius and Xerxes, Leonidas and Themistocles, Cimon and Pericles, the Spartans and the Athenians, the Peloponnesian and Delian Leagues, Athenian democracy and Spartan oligarchy, Alcibiades and Socrates, and finally Philip and Alexander of Macedonia. The writings are enhanced with maps, timelines, and scores of photographs taken by Dr. Kemnitz of Greek buildings, sculptures, and artifacts.

There is an enormous amount of historical material in this book, including descriptions of how the Spartans lived, the strategies of various battles, the functioning of democracy and the jury system in Athens, the practice of ostracism, the importance of the navy in Athens, the Spartan system of education, and the building of the glorious Parthenon on the Acropolis in Athens. Interspersed among the activity pages are vignettes of aspects of life in ancient Greece as depicted in vases, statuettes, and artifacts so that we learn not only about helmets and shields but also about hairstyles, musical instruments, and sports.

Publisher Dr. T.M. Kemnitz says, "Our intention is to give students enough of a picture of ancient Greece so that they can understand what occurred and why. So much of history written for students is little more than a story devoid of meaningful context. It is the context that helps to explain why people acted as they did and which helps us to understand that history is not a story of actions but rather a series of reactions. The history is enrichment; the purpose of the book remains to help students learn English vocabulary, specifically the academic English of learned discourse."

This book is printed in black and white, but there is a full color version available here.

Additional iBook Features:The iBook features the activities of the print book but in interactive form. Small analogies quizzes, classic words challenges, mystery questions based on the meanings of the stems, and end-of-chapter quizzes all allow students to self-check their work to test their growing knowledge. The Implementation Manual contains links to cumulative review quizzes to be taken after every five lessons of the book that can be completed by students either digitally or by printing them and working on paper copies. The answers to the quizzes are only in the Implementation Manual for this iBook curriculum level. This iBook, which is in full, vibrant color, also includes several beautiful images not in the print version.

This is the first volume at the secondary level in Michael Clay Thompson's writing program. It is an important addition to his curriculum for formal language study and extends the writing series from Sentence Island, Paragraph Town, and Essay Voyage into higher grade levels.

Students practice advanced academic writing with four assignments for which they must review their knowledge of grammar and punctuation, learn the MLA formatting method for research papers, know how to structure a well-written paper, and use standard proofreaders' marks for correcting their work.

There are sample papers to illustrate good and bad writing, an explanation of grading expectations, and ten focus points to use as a checklist for each assignment.

This is a rigorous and detailed program, essential for gifted students—and for anyone who needs to write formal academic papers. The accompanying teacher manual comes with comments for teachers to use when grading papers so that students can learn not only from their mistakes but also from what they do well. This is available for dowload.

"When we do advanced academic writing, we must learn not only to accept but to enjoy the relaxed pace of research, the meticulous construction of sentences, the gradual architecture of essays. The advanced process must be accompanied by an advanced attitude because so long as we resist enjoying advanced competence, we will be unable to achieve it." – Michael Clay Thompson

It is important to note that this is a second edition, new as of December 2017. It reflects the current MLA guidelines, which are substantially changed from those that were in existence when the first edition was written. As a result of those changes, the information in the first edition is now wrong, and no one should continue to use the first edition.

This is the first volume at the secondary level in Michael Clay Thompson's writing program. It is an important addition to his curriculum for formal language study and extends the writing series from Sentence Island, Paragraph Town, and Essay Voyage into higher grade levels.

Students practice advanced academic writing with four assignments for which they must review their knowledge of grammar and punctuation, learn the MLA formatting method for research papers, know how to structure a well-written paper, and use standard proofreaders' marks for correcting their work.

There are sample papers to illustrate good and bad writing, an explanation of grading expectations, and ten focus points to use as a checklist for each assignment.

This is a rigorous and detailed program, essential for gifted students—and for anyone who needs to write formal academic papers. The accompanying teacher manual comes with comments for teachers to use when grading papers so that students can learn not only from their mistakes but also from what they do well. This is available for dowload.

"When we do advanced academic writing, we must learn not only to accept but to enjoy the relaxed pace of research, the meticulous construction of sentences, the gradual architecture of essays. The advanced process must be accompanied by an advanced attitude because so long as we resist enjoying advanced competence, we will be unable to achieve it." – Michael Clay Thompson

It is important to note that this is a second edition, new as of December 2017. It reflects the current MLA guidelines, which are substantially changed from those that were in existence when the first edition was written. As a result of those changes, the information in the first edition is now wrong, and no one should continue to use the first edition.

Additional iBook Features: Interactive activities reinforce the lessons and allow students to self-check their knowledge.

Poetry and Humanity develops and expands the MCT poetics program and is built on a theme of understanding humanity and our existence. It shows how poets push language to its maximum in order to express those things about humanity that are most true, or difficult, or subtle. Longer and more challenging poems are used as examples.

All of the topics from the previous volumes are included in this one, but more advanced techniques are also explored. These include advanced rhymes such as half-double rhyme, elided rhyme, amphisbaenic rhyme, reverse rhyme, and apophany; advanced meters, from monometer to octameter; complex stanza forms, such as heroic couplets, terza rima, villanelles, quintets, sestets, octets, and submerged sonnets; and more involved figures of speech, including metonymy, synecdoche, and oxymorons.

The poems featured in the book are by such immortal poets as Thomas Hardy, William Blake, William Shakespeare, Henry Longfellow, Algernon Swinburne, William Butler Yeats, Emily Dickinson, Lewis Carroll, Alfred Lord Tennyson, Robert Burns, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Percy Shelley, William Cowper, Thomas Wyatt, William Wordsworth, and G.K. Chesterton.

Like he has done with the other poetics books in this series, Michael beautifully illustrates the idea that poetry is not an art for the elite only. There are poems for everyone, and they can be lovely, or gritty, or heartbreaking, or amusing. And the best of them contain elements that make them memorable as well.

The second edition of this book includes QR codes that link to audio of Michael reading the poems in the book.

Poetry and Humanity develops and expands the MCT poetics program and is built on a theme of understanding humanity and our existence. It shows how poets push language to its maximum in order to express those things about humanity that are most true, or difficult, or subtle. Longer and more challenging poems are used as examples.

All of the topics from the previous volumes are included in this one, but more advanced techniques are also explored. These include advanced rhymes such as half-double rhyme, elided rhyme, amphisbaenic rhyme, reverse rhyme, and apophany; advanced meters, from monometer to octameter; complex stanza forms, such as heroic couplets, terza rima, villanelles, quintets, sestets, octets, and submerged sonnets; and more involved figures of speech, including metonymy, synecdoche, and oxymorons.

The poems featured in the book are by such immortal poets as Thomas Hardy, William Blake, William Shakespeare, Henry Longfellow, Algernon Swinburne, William Butler Yeats, Emily Dickinson, Lewis Carroll, Alfred Lord Tennyson, Robert Burns, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Percy Shelley, William Cowper, Thomas Wyatt, William Wordsworth, and G.K. Chesterton.

Like he has done with the other poetics books in this series, Michael beautifully illustrates the idea that poetry is not an art for the elite only. There are poems for everyone, and they can be lovely, or gritty, or heartbreaking, or amusing. And the best of them contain elements that make them memorable as well.

The second edition of this book includes QR codes that link to audio of Michael reading the poems in the book.

Additional iBook Features: The iBook features several audio files that allow students to hear the voice of Michael Clay Thompson as he recites many of the poems, as well as some interactive exercises that allow students to self-check their knowledge. The Implementation Manual also contains a link to a comprehensive quiz that can be completed by students either digitally or by printing it and working on a paper copy. The answers to the quiz are only in the Implementation Manual for this iBook curriculum level.

4Practice I is a supplement toThe Magic Lens Iand is the practice workbook for the fifth level of the MCT language arts curriculum. It contains one hundred sentences, and each sentence uses vocabulary from The Word Within the Word Iand the poetic devices studied in Poetry and Humanity. Students work through the sentences using the unique four-level analysis method that is explained in The Magic Lens I. The focus of the sentences is on ancient Greek and Roman history, with particular emphasis on the Latin and Greek stems found in some of the words.

Each sentence appears on a separate page with four blank lines beneath it where students can fill in the parts of speech, the parts of the sentence, phrases, and clauses. By examining a wide range of sentences, students will experience the satisfaction of a clear understanding of the principles of English sentences.

This useful workbook is meant to be consumable and is therefore offered at a low cost.

4Practice I is a supplement toThe Magic Lens Iand is the practice workbook for the fifth level of the MCT language arts curriculum. It contains one hundred sentences, and each sentence uses vocabulary from The Word Within the Word Iand the poetic devices studied in Poetry and Humanity. Students work through the sentences using the unique four-level analysis method that is explained in The Magic Lens I. The focus of the sentences is on ancient Greek and Roman history, with particular emphasis on the Latin and Greek stems found in some of the words.

Each sentence appears on a separate page with four blank lines beneath it where students can fill in the parts of speech, the parts of the sentence, phrases, and clauses. By examining a wide range of sentences, students will experience the satisfaction of a clear understanding of the principles of English sentences.

This useful workbook is meant to be consumable and is therefore offered at a low cost.

The practice books have class set prices depending upon the quantity ordered; schools and school districts can combine orders of the practice books for maximum discount:

Any mix of practice books can be ordered. Please note that in most cases, the shopping cart will not show the actual discount; this will be applied when you are billed, and no matter what the shopping cart says, you will never be billed or charged at a higher rate than that to which you are entitled.

Additional iBook Features: The one hundred interactive sentences have boxes below the four lines where students can type in the parts of speech, the parts of the sentence, the phrases, and the clauses that are in each sentence. Students can then self-check their answers with the check button, which also reveals comments about the grammar, vocabulary, poetics, and writing of each sentence. Because all the answers are available in the iBook version, no teacher manual is required.